


Falcon's Followers

by TheIkranRider



Series: F-Zero Fanfics [1]
Category: F-Zero (Video Games), Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Novella, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Originally Posted on deviantART, Rare Characters, Rare Fandoms, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25784875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIkranRider/pseuds/TheIkranRider
Summary: A retelling of F-Zero GX's Story Mode, only with some different quirks. It mostly revolves around Captain Falcon, but also my OC, Tinsel Steelus, and her Duelist friends, Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler. They embark on a journey following the legendary bounty hunter, encountering new dangers, and preparing for the biggest race of their lives.
Series: F-Zero Fanfics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867759





	1. Lap 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own F-Zero GX or Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters; the first belongs to Nintendo, Sega, and AV, while the latter is owned by Konami. I just happen to be a fan of both.**

**A/N: I wasn't sure about this fic, and I've thought of this since I was struggling on GX's Story Mode. But here it is, my crossover w/ F-Zero GX and Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters. This would be mostly centered on Falcon and my OC, Tinsel Steelus, as well as the Duelists, Yugi and Joey. I kind of got this idea from Buttscottch since SHE'S going back to the original series.**

**Without further ado, it's time to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-DRIVE!**

Tinsel Steelus has kept hearing about the upcoming Grand Prixes while still on hiatus, revering her fears. She'd been this way for the past 13 years and had decided to tune upcoming attractions out, yet somehow the thrill of them turned her on. She eventually went back to her garage where it all ended. The Silver Comet was just collecting dust, yet it was intact from the accident she endured all these years prior:

_It was back in the first championship race, and she just won second place, thanks to being outranked by the elitist, Captain Falcon. She still qualified in the Knight League and advanced to the Queen League. She was able to conquer the courses, until she reached the final challenge, the second track in White Land. Deep within the planet, Alcatran, it was known for first-degree criminals to wind up in permanent cold sleep; in other words, death, which was exactly what laid ahead of her. The final circuit began and she was already struggling on the sharp curves and slipping on the ice. Tinsel was nearing a gap that was 50 feet in length, and lagging behind, she was quite surprised all her opponents made it. Including Falcon, Dr. Stewart, Pico, and Samurai Goroh. In hopes to cross it, Tinsel made the left turn and went for it..._

_Only to fall short by a mere thirty feet!_

_She'll never forget the crash that cost her life and the hypothermia she later developed. She felt she was literally meeting Death himself. Fortunately, a medical team rescued her and she was then hospitalized for an excruciating fortnight! Since that time, she had scars for life. She was so traumatized that she never wanted to race ever again, not even advance to the King League, the final, deadly stretch in the Grand Prix. Since then, she never used her poor Comet, and abandoned it inside a nearby garage in Mute City. Dr. Theodore Clash made the repairs and wanted to encourage her to keep going, but it never helped._

Now, Tinsel switched to another interest, Duel Monsters. It was a card game using some of the most lethal creatures known to mankind. This dated 5000 years back at Egypt, where a pharaoh known as Yami became a master of the dark arts. Since then, it evolved into a casual hobby introduced by her two closest friends, Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler. Tinsel grew fascinated with the distraction, but eventually her love for the races gradually came back to her. Sure, there were some pangs of fear and hurt, but seeing the Silver Comet in all its luster brought a sense of nostalgia. She decided to give it a test drive throughout the mega metropolis, and she couldn't wait to show it to them!

_Tinsel then met the two young boys, along with another male and female in tow. They were actually escaping an island that was rumored to explode, thanks to a corrupt dueler named Seito Kaiba. Somehow, Tinsel emerged into Battle City and ran into the panicking group._

_"Get in! Quick!" she shouted for them to climb aboard._

_Thanks to the Comet's immense speed, they were able to evacuate in a manner of seconds! She met Tristan and Tea, though they volunteered to be dropped off at Domino City instead of hitching a ride to the mega capital. Since then, Yugi and Joey tagged along and thus they began their journey into the unknown, and the most evil._

* * *

The sights were breath-taking, especially at night. Yet the duo was disappointed since there weren't any people interested in Duel Monsters. Later on, the gang went through a warp gate and Tinsel entered a place which gave her the most comfort, Port Town. This was similar to Mute City, only it was more tranquil, and less complicated to navigate. It was the location for one of the courses featured in the sophomore round, and it became a sanctuary for her.

Lucky for them that a punk was waiting in a dark alley, challenging them to a game. Ecstatic, both Yugi and Joey drew arms while Tinsel watched. Little did the group know that there was a massive fortress transforming before their very eyes.

It was a wide, curvy course littered with a rainbow pit area, and a bunch of capsules. Neon hot pink guardrails gave it a dazzling outline. Only Tinsel observed the spectacle, while her friends were busy with the street rat. She almost instantly recalled the cerulean machine racing across the track, and collecting the capsules.

_Geez Laweez! Is that the Blue Falcon!? He lives in Port Town?! Boy, aren't we in for a treat._

Unfortunately, she didn't want to disturb the duel, so she let them emerge victorious. As soon as the battle ended, after the hovercar made three effortless laps, it was over. The craft returned inside the stadium, and the simulation reverted back to the dull structure it once was. The result had no rewards just a big impression on Yugi and Joey's skills and teamwork.

"Hey, Tinsel. Yoohoo, Formula Zero pilot!" Joey called.

"Uh, sorry. What happened here? Who won?"

"You weren't paying attention, were you?" he said, irritated.

"I was just looking at that F-Zero track Captain Falcon raced on. He was amazing!" She couldn't get the moments out of her mind, it was so surreal.

"What track? All I see is this grey, ugly building. You must be seeing things."

"But, I saw..." she trailed off. Who was she trying to convince? She didn't pay attention to the fight, and they didn't look at the racetrack. Tinsel continued to argue with the hothead, but with no luck. Yugi, however, was curious on what she observed. They later discussed it at a hotel room, and she couldn't even sleep that night. She wondered where the bounty hunter's next location was going to be.

**A/N: When I was doing the first chapter, I used to think it was almost impossible. I was only able to complete it successfully on Normal difficulty, and I later had this idea. At that time, I managed to find an old cassette tape featuring the Cars' album, Heartbeat City. And the intro song was "Hello, Again." I figured this would be the perfect song for the duel, but time kind of erased those fragments I had so long ago. It was just Yugi and Joey against another Duelist while Falcon trained at his turf, kind of like the setup of Ash's first fight in Mewtwo Strikes Back.**

**Well, one scenario down. So, stay tuned for the second one as Tinsel follows Falcon to lethal territory.**


	2. Lap 2

**A/N: Now comes Chapter 2, both in this fic and GX's plot. And this brought back some memories from the original F-Zero in terms with Samurai Goroh, and his endless, bitter rivalry w/ Falcon.**

As Tinsel, Yugi, and Joey were leaving the hotel room after a hearty breakfast, they immediately saw the Blue Falcon whiz past them.

"Hey! There's Captain Falcon!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I wonder where he's going." the spiky-hair kid said.

"Oh man. You were right about him, after all, Tinsel." Joey admitted.

"Let's see if we could follow him; I couldn't sleep well thinking about him. It's been over a decade since he was my own competitor. I wouldn't get in the way with Pico or Goroh, though. And I'm not sure where Dr. Stewart is." She faced the duo. "So, how about it, guys? You up for it?"

They were very enthralled of the futuristic racing. They never seen anything like it,, even though it was outside their norm. The guys laid their hands on top of each other's and hers. "I'm in." Yugi said, since he was a huge fan of games.

"Me too!" Joey added.

And so, the trio climbed into the Silver Comet and set out to the roads less paved and traveled.

Through a warp gate, they followed the hero and wound up at the middle of a desert. They all looked around at the open terrain as the intense heat and scorching sunlight greeted them.

"Where are we?" Joey queried.

"According to the data, we should be in Red Canyon, at Planet Cryton." Tinsel answered.

"Red Canyon? I never heard of such a place." Yugi said.

"This used to house one of the courses in the Queen League, much like Port Town. And it's also home to a vicious Japanese warrior named Goroh. He's the head of a nefarious band of space pirates, and Falcon's greatest rival."

"Pirates?! What the hell is he doing here?" Joey's voice rose a few notches.

"I don't like this, either, Joey. Let's get outta here." Yugi offered. But the team witnessed the Blue Falcon being surrounded by thieves just over a couple dunes away.

They noticed they were trapped and could be spotted if they dared to escape, so they immediately hid behind a massive hump, listening in on the protest.

Samurai Goroh cornered the professional pilot. "You stole the prize money from us last time!" he pointed. "You will pay for that!" The henchmen rooted.

The leader laid his hand on the polish of the rare, unbeatable vehicle. "That's a fine-looking machine you're driving, Falcon." He turned away as he retorted, "You know the law here in Red Canyon? If you lose the race, you forfeit your machine."

While the vile criminals took in their fearless leader's words, he stuck a switchblade against his rival's throat as he was starting up. Clearly, Joey had enough with the brutes as his face started to wrinkle.

"You can't back down now! The mighty Falcon can't back down from a challenge, now can he?"

"Let's do it!" he nodded and accepted in a cool demeanor.

Goroh performed a couple backflips and motioned to a goalpost. Two red flags were waving on top of each stalagmite. There was a dusty road leading up to it, although it was scarce compared to some rocky, unsteady ground. "Alright, then! The first one to that checkpoint over there is the winner!"

The vengeful swordsman sheathed his weapon and ordered his men in Japanese to bring over his prized machine. It was a bright pink with the number 5 in bold white. Tinsel recognized it as...

"I can't lose in my Fire Stingray. Heh heh heh." Goroh snickered, and the death race began in a flash!

The checkered flag was lowered and the trio couldn't lose their sights on the duel they saw! They were flabbergasted, especially Tinsel who recollected Falcon and Goroh's dark pasts. They were once partners belonging to the Internova Police Force. But things went awry as the two were getting more competitive; the bounty hunter defeated him in everything, from rising through the ranks, to retrieving more bounties. Since then, they were at each other's throats, until Goroh had an enormous criminal record. He was cast out and he made his living as vicious killer and burglar renowned throughout the universe. Rivals at the F-Zero races was only the tip of the iceberg.

The Duelists and Tinsel saw the two duke it out on the uneven trail. Loads of rock were being pushed down the cliffs by Goroh's gang, and they managed to avoid almost every one. Some took damage, others were just mere obstacles. At times, they were neck to neck, and the leads were traded, until...

A ginormous boulder nearly crushed Falcon like a huge boot squashing an ant. Luckily, his booster saved him. And it was just enough speed to get him to the finish line. The threesome couldn't help but cheer for his stunning victory! They were so absorbed, that they didn't notice Goroh making a wrong turn and accidentally crashed into the precipice.

Unusually, the Stingray was steaming. It was hardly possible since it was known to have high acceleration, but also unsurmountable durability. Goroh stammered a few inches away and yelled, "Falcon! I'm gonna get you in the Grand Prix! Gaaagh!" The vehicle exploded, the shockwave threw Goroh into the rock face. And the Falcon went clear out of danger. This was also a signal for the trio to hightail it out of there while the minions were still preoccupied, extinguishing the rapid flames!  
 **  
A/N: This was one of the only chapters I was able to finish on all difficulties, and I unlocked Princia Ramode as a reward. I wasn't very crazy about her nor the Spark Moon, but all I had to do was conserve my energy and boost like crazy at the last stretch while still avoiding the numerous boulders. The AI was just insane as Goroh kept rocketing past me, so that's the strategy here. Next chapter, though, is my least favorite of them all. Oh, and btw, the cover song for the Red Canyon theme rocks!**


	3. Lap 3

**A/N: This was one of my greatest killjoys while I was playing through Story Mode. You'll see why later, and I sorely disagree those who consider it to be a fun lap; I'm looking straight at you, Ephraim!  
**

There wasn't any other way to go but out, and so they decided to head back to Mute City. As did the captain. Once again, they followed him despite the tension within the Comet's cockpit. Everyone was a bit reluctant to keep following him, but somehow the uneasiness subsided as they found a rest stop in the city that never sleeps.

A few cars ahead, they saw the Blue Falcon head straight into a parking lot consisting a bar and a refueling station. There was a sign completely covered in plasma. Amongst the twilight sky, it read Bet Race Dollars in large font.

As they stopped, Tinsel gazed up at the display.

"Bet...race..?" Her face turned pale, and her temperature dropped a few degrees. She was NOT expecting this.

"What's wrong?" Yugi questioned.

"Yeah, what gives?" Joey chimed.

"Guys, we can't enter here. We're all minors, and we're not even 21 yet."

"So?" The blond wondered.

"I've always hated casinos and games based on luck, and I heard that one of them takes place on a F-Zero circuit. Casino Palace, or New Vegas, as some people would call it. No offense, Joey, but I'd rather play games that have skill than the luck of the draw."

"Uh-huh..." He looked at her skeptically.

"I believe she has a point, Joey." Yugi said. "Luck isn't always your best friend, especially if people lose their money and their lives over something unpredictable. I, too, want games to prove that yu're stronger based on your abilities and strengths."

"No, not you too, Yug! Why do I feel like such a minority?"

"C'mon, guys. Let's go in and grab a bite." Tinsel led them inside a comfy, casual outlet. They decided to order a few sodas and snacks while they watched the BET race on televid.

They saw the match and the track consisting of sharp turns all the way around. Tinsel remembered how much of a hassle those cornering, sudden angles could be, always crashing into the walls and her opponents passing her. There were a couple jump plates at some spots, plus about three pit areas. And there were plenty of creepy clowns waving and wishing the racers good luck. Fat chance on that!

She took a sigh of relief as she wasn't a part of this irritating place with all the lights, bells, and slot and poker machines all around. "This is much better."

"We will shortly be closing registrations for the next race!" the male announcer called.

On the score board, there was Beastman at the Number 1 slot, Number 2 was labelled with The Skull, third was Famicom, fourth was Super Arrow, and fifth was Baba. But that wasn't all the participants. There was also Jack Levin, Dr. Theodore Clash, Mr. EAD, James McCloud, Antonio Guster, Gomar and Shioh, Bio Rex, and Billy. The trio weren't sure who any of those racers were, but they were startled to see a stranger enter the Blue Falcon.

"Hey, why is this guy using the Blue Falcon?" Joey queried, as the gang saw a mysterious man don on a large green cape, and a decorative mask which looked like one used for a Mardi Gra.

"Maybe it's Falcon in disguise." Yugi said.

"Yeah, a pretty lousy one at that!" Tinsel commented. "They would've done a far better job if they would've made a makeover on his vehicle, too."

"Nah, I think it's just a stranger. Heh, so much for grand theft auto." Joey mentioned.

Everyone was glued to the flat screen, including the patrons.

The Blue Falcon was amongst the crowd, and the race began. "3...2...1...GO!" The screens flashed and rose at the last second. Then, the cerulean car made navigation seamless as if he knew the course's every nook and cranny. From using the jump plates, to swerving at the right moments without being detrimental.

But, by the second lap, everyone kept on shooting past him like living rockets!

"Oh, that stranger's never gonna catch up now." muttered one customer.

"Sure he is, he's Captain Falcon. He can make it." said another in a squeaky tone.

The Falcon boosted and at each turn, he managed to perform some side and spin attacks to keep his enemies at bay. The stakes were extremely high considering this was supposed to be a race with potential winners, taking advantage of people's wallets in the process. Everyone was desperate and reckless, yet Falcon kept his cool throughout the whole ordeal.

"Yeah! The Final Lap!" The announcer spoke after the first machine crossed the line.

A lot of them were losing power and flashing red as every careless pilot kept on going down the path of hell! Falcon kept up his strategy by boosting and using the machine to the absolute limit. The jump plates were a huge advantage as he gained more ground while in the air, and the rivals still caught up. So he kept on using his aggressiveness, although he had to be careful to prevent himself from falling off. Then, it was rinse and repeat after the pit area.

After a sheer stroke of luck, the Famicom reached the goal first.

Yugi, Joey, and Tinsel kept raving of the amazing feat he pulled.

"How the hell did he do that?!" the Comet pilot shouted with glee.

After they calmed down during the victory lap, she made a critical vow, "Note to self: Never gamble when we reach 21."

"We won't." The Duelists swore in unison.

They saw Falcon get rewarded an enormous leather sack. It was given to him by a scrawny elderly man who looked to be a nonagenarian. His messy, snowy beard reached down to his upper chest, and he was always hunching over like Quasimodo, only more wrinkly and brittle.

Falcon, in his normal apparel, took it and then a newsbreak suddenly turned on. Tinsel and the others surprisingly noticed it as well.

"Once again, Black Shadow is running riot in the Lightning Area. All citizens are advised to evacuate immediately. We repeat. All citizens are advised to evacuate immediately..."

The chaos displayed a demon clad in black, laughing hysterically as he raised his hands in triumph. Fire was licking buildings and destruction was everywhere. People were also screaming in the background.

"Lightning? Why would there be citizens in Lightning? I mean, what is this place anyway?" Yugi was very curious.

"I don't know." Tinsel wondered.

Just then, they saw the Blue Falcon hurriedly drive away from the lot and onto the public streets, nearly crashing into oncoming vehicles.

"C'mon!" Both Tinsel and Yugi leapt from their stools and paid the fare, while Joey kept stuffing in his mouth.

"Joey, let's go!" his friend grabbed and pulled him by the arm. He almost fell off his seat while he was gathering his bearings; he was always known to have such a huge appetite.

"How're we supposed to get there? A-are we gonna be struck?"

"Nevermind that, Yugi. Falcon's heading there right now, and it's up to us to follow him."

They each hopped into the cockpit and the Comet sped away on I-195 like a jack rabbit on loads of caffeine.

**A/N: As you'd see on the roster for Lap 3 there was Zoda. Unfortunately, this was set before "Ending it All" and keeping the timeline consistent, I wouldn't include him since he'll be out of cold sleep next year. So I added in Bio Rex in his place. And of course, Falcon named Famicom was a reference to the old Japanese system similar to the NES but it was an add-on to play floppy discs. It's actually called the Family Disc System.**

**Also, I was a minor then, I wasn't even 18 yet. But I did keep making a vow to myself that I'd NEVER plan on gambling once I reach the legal age. Since then, I kept my word, except when I spent my 21st birthday at a casino; I didn't do very well on the games, but at least I didn't spend my life away like most unwise consumers would do! I despise casinos, and the Robert DeNiro movie, AND I loathe games based on luck! And I hate this damn chapter so freaking much! I can't for the life of me recall how long it was until I got that bastard done right, lousy rubber band AI!**

**With all resentment aside, this story would be more interesting as the Duelists get a chance to shine. This would be the lesson that Tinsel would later use against the Bloody Chain.**


	4. Lap 4

**A/N: You want to talk about fun? This is indeed one of them. Excepting this one time, I never had trouble with it. Little did I know I was supposed to wipe out Mike before I reached the goalpost first. Though higher difficulties can be an exception. The Bloody Chain challenge makes them bleed more profusely than a heart artery. You'll see what I mean.**

The Silver Comet continued to chase after the elusive Blue Falcon. While heading toward the Lightning pit stop on the hunt for Black Shadow. The newsbreak made the trio wonder who and/or what that demon is. Yugi and Joey, munching in the back seat, have speculated that he's another opponent straight from the Shadow Realm. Even Tinsel wasn't positive of his identity nor his capabilities, which made him the most mysterious. They even concluded he's nothing but a walking nightmare hell-bent on mayhem and massacre.

But their deep thoughts were interrupted by the incoming street gang while racing through the Big Blue highway. The entryway was dark and the ambush was much of a surprise as one of the colorless Wild Boars rammed into them. The black muscleman did the same stunt to the Falcon and showed absolute no remorse for it. He was wearing black shades and no hair. His teeth gleamed, literally, with golden choppers as he sneered.

"So you want to play... Let's play." the hero challenged.

"Ha ha ha ha! Guys. The party is just starting!" He stood out from the open cockpit, and all the vehicles with the mohawks obliged.

Everyone sped ahead and the bounty hunter was on the chase; he figured his best chance was to wipe out most of the dummy cars, but mostly crush Michael Chain. The result would probably allow safer passage, and perhaps cause the street gang to disband and scatter away like wimpy bullies.

So, he went on the pursuit. Tinsel advised the duo to speed ahead amongst the clashing machines as the Comet was never good at taking damage. This was an endurance test for all of them before they could reach the warp gate leading to Lightning. She figured sarcastically this was a good way to get there since they'd be conducted by electricity from the water vapor left over. Unfortunately, this was the shortcut to the next location, so they didn't have a choice.

The Silver Comet beelined past the group, and the punks and Falcon were too busy to notice its illuminating presence. Falcon just kept on bashing and destroying nearly every grey Wild Boar as they clustered into small groups. Which was very unwise as it made them easy to demolish with a well-timed side or spin attack. Even some of the streetlights became inanimate targets. At least the survivng guests would be extrememly lucky they wouldn't fall into the ocean below.

Finally, he made it up to the head honcho. Mike began to chase an unknown automobile of sorts, but he was easily distracted by the predatorial bird. Unlike his cronies, his machine was the most durable and the trickiest. His hide was as thick as a thousand mastodons, and the Falcon just kept slipping. The negro himself was undoubtedly aggressive as he attempted to hit Falcon directly with a few threats of his own.

The wrath was still going on after they crossed over the massive pit area, where it was the only one on the nocturnal highway.

Meanwhile, the trio left the car behind and setup a trap to the enemies yonder. Yugi and Joey shuffled their decks and the kid drew a few. The Turtle Cannon was the first, as a thick, green reptilian creature emerged with a turret on its large shell. There was also a little fur ball with jotted limbs and wide, beady eyes. It was known as Kuriboh, a monster that screams the phrase, looks can be deceiving. He loaded himself up to the shooter, then Yugi drew out a final card. A golden X was etched on its face; it was the Multiply card. As he laid it down, the turtle itself shot off the brown cutie into the air. It landed toward the gang below, while more of those buddies formed.

They were watching and waiting as Falcon was leading the pack, with Michael clipping his wings.

"Oh no! After Falcon! We can't lose him!" The dull Boars just got up and went for some strange reason. "Go! Go after him!" he commanded. In the end, he just turned and headed back. Falcon just simply waved goodbye, not knowing the shooting stars that were landing straight for them. Although, they weren't really comets or meteors.

They were just a bunch of Kuriboh that latched onto each of the Boars, but Mike's. Every one of the passengers illuminated and the machines exploded on contact mere seconds later! Through the smoke, it was hard to tell whether or not Mike was one of the unfortunate victims. What truly mattered that it was smooth sailing from here. And so, the Duelists and Tinsel resumed their odyssey.

"Wow! That was amazing, guys!" she complimented.

"I thought so." Joey replied.

"Indeed. I used to pull off that same stunt when we were in that virtual world, remember?" Yugi motioned to his partner.

"Yeah, you incinerated those flying beasts so we could have access to that Castle of Illusions where Mokuba and Kaiba were."

"Exactly. So, I figured with a nasty gang that size, it was necessary."

"Great move, you two! I could actually pick up a few pointers from you guys." Tinsel remarked.

Falcon already went under the checkpoint, saying Lightning Area in neon blue, and having one bolt on top of each post. The terrific trio headed there on the double.

**A/N: If you would've seen the flashback scene on "Ending it All," that was when Tinsel took advantage of Yugi/Yami's strategy to heart, as she borrowed both the Kuriboh and Multiply cards from him to execute that same tactic on the Bloody Chain. It was unknown whether or not Mike was caught in the crossfire, but rest assured he'll have his eventually.**

**By the way, even though it was filler, I consider the Virtual World saga to be one of the best moments from the classic series.**

**So, the team and Falcon are on their way to Lightning with no interference. Stay tuned for one of the most intense laps ever.**


	5. Lap 5

**A/N: This was one of the chapters I never wanted to go back to; Chapter 3 was also one of those dreaded Laps. And word to the wise, good freakin' luck on trying to do it on Very Hard Mode.**

**So, the team finally made it to Lightning. What would they find? Let's see.**

The first thing they noticed as soon as they entered Lightning was the stormy weather. The stratus clouds overhead were as dark and ominous as they could be, plus very sinister counting the endless thunderstorms this area was known to have. The only exception was there was no rain, the air was completely dry, and Tinsel and the Duelists could've sworn their hairs at the back of their necks stood up. Also, their eyes had to keep readjusting from the sudden flashes as well. Luckily the rumbles weren't too unbearable for their ears. Still, they couldn't help but wonder how people would be able to survive in a planet that's prone to an unstable atmosphere.

Apparently, through research, this was once a lush, fertile planet, until the climate became a lightning zone due to intense air pollution which constantly harms the ozone layer. They were lucky that there were some innovative companies who were capable of harnessing the harmful bolts and utilizing the electricity into generators, which can house up to 10 million gigawatts total. The output was so great, that it was even enough to provide power to other neighboring planets. That sounded interesting, but Tinsel, Yugi, and Joey were growing more nervous by the second, as they never wanted to get fried, like Joey said.

"Still...we have to help Falcon and find Black Shadow." Yugi suggested.

A loud clap greeted them and they saw a passageway that was destroyed. Pits of fire littered it on all sides, and up ahead they saw what appeared to be a racer of sorts in a bright turquoise. According to the data, it was known as the Wonder Wasp, and the pilot was an elite member of the Federation named John Tanaka; he was also known to be a promising mechanic, although, he didn't look like a prizewinner himself. His body was covered in ash, ruining his pristine white uniform. And he kept going in and out of consciousness as Falcon hurriedly went to him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, holding the hapless man up.

"Urgh...Jody's still inside that building!" With hi blurry vision, Tanaka pointed toward a massive power plant in the distance. It looked as cryptic as a haunted place would be. It was dark and it sustained heavy damage from the inside. The lightning only increased the fear factor, and the flames that were licking the core.

Falcon sped away in his racer. "Wait there." he told him.

As the trio climbed out of the Comet, and coughed on the thick air, they followed his gaze as he zoomed in; they thought it was suicide venturing in there, especially in this ludicrous weather.

"This is horrible." Joey said as he skimmed the area.

"I don't like this anymore than you do, Joey."

Tinsel was at a loss for words, she really shared the teen's feelings about this depressing situation.

"Which is why I need to do something. We can't just stay here and watch."

"What're you doing?" she cracked her voice.

"I'm going in after him, we can't stop now." Yugi's Millennium Puzzle started to glow and jiggle. Then, his whole body brightened just as the artifact did. "Yugioh!" he cried, and the transformation into the ancient pharaoh commenced. By the time the light and the symbol on his forehead faded after a few seconds, it revealed Yugi, but in a taller body, longer blond locks, and a more earnest demeanor.

"There's no turning back now." Yami spoke in a deeper voice. "We have to save Falcon and assist the Federation against Black Shadow. Are you with me?" Tinsel and Joey just nodded. He fixed his eyes on the destruction, "Alright then. This could be an intense rescue mission, so I would need someone who is fast, and is able to catch up with the Blue Falcon." He drew out a card, but it wasn't just any Duel Monster; it was actually one of his sacred Egyptian God Cards. "I summon my own Egyptian God, Slipher, the Sky Dragon!"

A large, spiky dragon emerged with two mouths, sharp claws on its feet and hands, enormous bat-like wings, and completely covered in crimson. The valiant champion leapt onto its back and it roared just before it went on the pursuit.

"Be careful, Yugi." Tinsel said.

"Hurry back in one piece, you hear?" Joey added.

Yami replied with a grin and gave a thumb up. His face turned serious as they both soared through the wide open hatch. Slipher got in the central chamber in less than a minute; he was undoubtedly the fastest, even surpassing Ra's speed. They saw Falcon climb out and hold an injured brunette who was lying down stunned on the floor. She also had her own machine, it was known as the White Cat and it propped up against a wall. Unfortunately she didn't have the strength to retrieve the badly damaged hovercar, and there was hardly any time.

"Jody!" Falcon ran to her.

"Ungh...Falcon?" She barely had enough energy to lift her hand. Her battered body was hoisted up by him, and they made it inside his machine instead. It was about time, too, as everyone saw sparks of electricity run amok. The Falcon turned from the main exhaust hatch and then it took off with a blink of an eye. Yami and Slipher chased after them just as soon as an enormous rapid wall of flames was closing in for the kill!

The Falcon reached up to speeds at around 2000 kilometers an hour, but it was a cakewalk for the red serpent. There were green-blue orbs that littered the straight shaft, refilling Falcon's energy meter, if only by a fraction. It still kept on boosting, while draining most of its stamina. On top of that, it was likely to decrease more of its energy if it should hit any of the tall pillars or the closing doors. Although, they didn't shut completely, it was still a hassle when they only stopped just mere inches. They were all like that horizontally, vertically, and even diagonally. Slipher used its flamethrower to blow any roadblock to smithereens, sticking as close to the Blue Falcon as possible. The pilot was so absorbed on the escort, that he hardly noticed the assistance.

It was mostly a clear passage, although the closing apertures were slowing him down. The merciless wall of flames loamed closer and closer to the group as they went, until Falcon and Jody came across a ramp.

"Jody! Hang on to something!" she obeyed as they raced onto some speed boosts. Unfortunately, like the other doors, even the one coming up was nearly closed shut! The gap was a grim chance for them to escape before the power plant should blow into space dust! It was no trouble for Slipher, but for Falcon at going at this exhilarating speed?!

Falcon put the pedal to the metal, and he and Jody shut their eyes, bracing for death. Yami ducked and held onto Slipher for dear life, expecting the worst, with the flames barely making contact with their tails!

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the power plant, Tanaka, Joey and Tinsel were completely aghast as they saw the power plant be engulfed in a vermillion ball of heat hurling straight into the exosphere. The heat went up against their faces, and the thunder crashed with the rising temperature. "Yugi!" the duo screamed at once. "And Falcon, too..." she whimpered.

Tanaka, barely holding on, prayed for their safe return, almost losing all hope.

Luckily, Yami on Slipher's back was able to escape just milliseconds before the explosion, although his navy blue coat was covered in soot. He brushed some of the residue off. "It's all right, Falcon and Jody are fine." he said as he dropped from his perch.

"Yami, you made it!" Tinsel ran and hugged him tightly. She didn't mind the sudden warm sensation, it was pretty comfortable.

"That was a close call, Yug." Joey congratulated with a smile.

"It sure was, Joey. It sure was."

Slipher was dismissed, then the trio looked at the devastation, and they almost missed the Blue Falcon that emerged from Hell's wrath, nearly unscathed.

Tanaka was reunited within his crush's soft arms. "Jody!" He then wobbled as he escorted her back to the Wasp. She, however, took the wheel as she observed Tanaka's condition. "We need to get you to a hospital, fast!" The hatch descended and locked. Then the totaled Wasp gradually made it out of harm's way. That was until a certain maniac was gleefully making the surrounding ignitions rise.

Falcon looked around and noticed the demonic bastard, raising hell. "Black Shadow..." He punched his open palm and he marched straight toward him with a brave, determined face. Tinsel, Yami, and Joey couldn't help but stare at that horrid sight. It seemed that their new friend was more acquainted with that Batman-look-a-like than they'd anticipated. Huddling next to the Comet, they let the unwavering hero take a stand.

**A/N: Next up is my absolute favorite chapter in all of Story Mode, Black Shadow's Trap! Something about this particular chapter just keeps me motivated and interested, especially for what's ahead. Falcon steps up to the plate, as he'll deal with the heartless abomination. Who is he? Why is he at Lightning causing all this chaos? Find out next time!**


	6. Lap 6

**A/N: If you've seen the movie, Speed, then you should already know the concept. In fact, I HAVE watched Speed when I was little, but I've only seen the bus scenes, not the whole movie. Not until around 2006; that was when I got into the Keanu Reeves movies, and it was surely a blast! Although, the sequel should be highly avoided, lousy replacement.**

**Anyway, this chapter was fun to play, I was able to complete it on all difficulties, and I was also able to unlock Dai Goroh. So, let the menace begin!**

Tinsel and the Duelists saw Falcon approach the demon known as Black Shadow. He was twenty feet away from where he stood, as well as his own machine, whatever THAT was. It was also pretty dark and almost horrifying with the dim lights, and the continuous thunderstorms. They huddled together and hid beside the Comet.

"Falcon! You've come to die? I needn't have wasted my time looking for you, then!" the Emperor of Brutality taunted as he folded his arms.

"Let's settle this at the Grand Prix. Not like this, it's the coward's way." the bounty hunter growled.

The nemesis leapt off his vehicle. "The coward's way? You make it sound so noble. I just plan to eliminate anyone who stands between me and the prize. Simple as that!" They saw his body glow white, and his hands looked as if he was forming a ball of sorts. Indeed, it was a spell, but what? They were certain many people, err survivors, may not know much about Black Shadow. They were probably even lucky to escape from his terrifying presence. Just then, a massive golden ring appeared and two energy binds were formed, and then, "Falcon! Take this!"

He released them and they instantly wrapped around Falcon's body, trapping his arms. He attempted to dodge as he was conjuring, but the walking nightmare was quicker than the naked eye.

"Aggh! What're you doing?!"

"Come on out, Blood Falcon."

The hero continued to struggle, trying to break the bonds with as much strength as he could muster. Then, a clone of his emerged from him. It was as if the hapless trio was seeing double; they could hardly see his evil attire with the red jumpsuit, the yellow scarf, and the fuchsia, spiky helmet with a skull of death smack in the middle of it. Although most of his face was covered by his own visor, they could still make out his sneers.

"Are you ready?" his master queried.

He attached something on top of the fuselage of the Blue Falcon, just behind the cockpit. The device made a rapid, annoying, beeping noise.

"Yeah, I'm ready." the carbon copy said, then he jumped off the machine as Black Shadow lifted his victim in the air. The threesome were surprised he wasn't struck by the lightning. Still, what were they intending to do?

"Farewell, Captain Falcon!" the devil snickered. Falcon was trapped within his own machine, and it closed the hatch as if he was controlling the whole thing with telekinesis!

"He he. You and Blue Falcon can die together!" his servant added with an evil smile, nearly showing his fangs. Then they laughed triumphantly as the machine was speeding away!

"After them!" Tinsel said. She wasted not a single millisecond as the gang scrambled in the Comet's cockpit. With no time to spare, they chased after the Blue Falcon again, never caring whether or not the two evildoers would notice them. It was only a matter of seconds before they realized...Joey wasn't with them!

Yami scrounged through the backseat. "Joey? Joey!" He faced the pilot. "He's not here."

"What?!" Tinsel screeched, "Where is he?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the elusive pilot barely had enough endurance to break apart the energy bonds. As he toppled over, his hands landed on the thrusters. Then, he checked the vitals; everything seemed normal, until an alarm turned off. It kept flashing, " **WARNING!** " and the display showed a bomb was attached to the fuselage. It also read that if his speedometer should drop below 800 kilometers an hour...

Falcon's adrenaline went up, never wanting to know what would happen to him, nor his precious craft! However, his life was more important, and he snapped back to reality as he avoided the obstacles in his way. First was a dash plate which was good, knowing he's in the safe zone, then, there were a small handful of cars. He blasted his headlights, and the cars scurried aside. Plus, there were a few sharp turns in which he drifted through.

* * *

Beside the Comet, Tinsel and Yami noticed their friend riding on a Duel Monster; it was a gigantic black dragon with sharp claws, bat-like wings, and even crimson eyes that glowed as bright as Rudolph's nose. It was Joey's signature monster, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, the dark incarnate of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!

"Joey! What're you doing? Get back inside right now!" Tinsel ordered.

"It's too dangerous!" Yami agreed.

"No way! I'm not gonna let these evil bastards win! For crying out, we need him! He's the Grand Prix champion, and he's the one who may know who we're dealing with! He needs our help!" Joey shouted over the calamity.

After a brief pause, they gave in. "Just make sure you don't get struck." she replied.

"I won't." he assured with a determined grin. He may be crazy, but at least they can admire his great courage. "I-I'm gonna try and dismantle the bomb!"

"Be careful, Joey! Don't get blown into bits, too." his old friend warned.

"Relax, Yug, I know what I'm doing...I hope."

As Falcon was driving vigilantly through the obstacle course of Hell, Joey and his Red-Eyes attempted to lift the speed-sensitive bomb off. Its claws dug in as much as they could, but the sudden, sharp turns and the collisions made it easy to slip up. As their ally bumped into a wall, Joey was so nervous he'd explode with him on top of it! But he never gave up, not even the stubborn inclines and more of those pesky cars couldn't stop them.

The velocity was too much, that Joey wasn't able to draw a card, not even the dragon's Sharp Claws. But at least Red-Eyes was able to scare away any troubled driver that would get in the helpless Falcon's path. Then, it began to narrow. Thankfully there was a speed booster. But that was only a brief respite as they came across a few dirt areas, slowing down the captor! With his quick thinking, Falcon used his own Booster and increased and maintained the speed limit above 800 kilometers. Whenever he was several centimeters close, the rotating bomb on the roof turned red, ready to burst!

Fortunately, Falcon was smart and foolish enough to prevent it. But, the bad news was, since he consumed most of his machine's energy from the rapid boosting and the endless impacts throughout the highway, the hovercar itself turned red, meaning it was severely low.

This put Joey in a state of panic. "Oh, come on! Hang in there, Falcon!"

He was so worried that he forced his Red-Eyes to dig in his talons deeper, which resulted a few cracked nails. The dragon was just as wound up as ever as it used all its body weight to detach the bomb.

The serpent and its rider were growing weary and dizzy from the constant movement, then there was a deep incline leaning toward the left. Falcon tapped another guardrail, disabling the dragon's hold. And Red-Eyes wasn't able to land on it due to its weak claws with the Blue Falcon speeding away from them. From overhead, they saw what was coming in the far distance. A well-lit burnt orange sign was crashed through which said, " **CAUTION! ROAD CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION!** "

Sure enough, it was as the Blue Falcon jumped over a gap. This reminded Tinsel of the incident at White Land as she and Yami continued to follow them several miles behind. They were horrified of his leap of faith. Falcon turned his vehicle toward a conveniently-placed hook from a crane, thinking it would really help to knock off the sensor. But, the height was barely enough by a few inches!

Joey observed the problem. "Balance it, Red-Eyes!" It obeyed instantaneously as it soared beneath the Falcon, and used its curved head to lift it toward the hook. It made contact, and the bomb was finally separated! The Falcon made it safely to the other side, but Joey and his monster were all washed up as the bomb exploded in the river several feet below!

By the time it was clear, the Comet jumped over the gap, which wasn't as long as the pilot anticipated. It immediately stopped as soon as it landed, and she and Yami emerged. They looked around for their missing comrade.

They heard a few pants and saw a hand reach up to the ledge. The duo went over and they pulled him up. Joey's body was completely soaked from head to toe. "Are you all right?" the pharaoh questioned.

"Yeah, I think so." He looked at the spent card, it's face darkened. That was a sign that his monster was used up. "I think my Red-Eyes did the job and saved Falcon."

"Where is he?" Tinsel wondered, fearing for the worst.

"I believe he made it. And then he got away.."

They escorted him back into the Comet, but the sudden flash and crash made them startle. "Ah! Let's get outta here!" Tinsel screamed.

"I told you we'd turn into lightning rods!" Joey added.

The trio headed through a straightaway then a warp gate, not knowing where their compatriot and idol had ended up.

* * *

"Ugh! What a day!" Tinsel exhaled after they settled in the outskirts of Mute City. "This has been one disaster after another. I don't think we should follow Falcon anymore; it's just far too much!"

Yugi and Joey felt the same, exasperated and wound up, especially trying to comprehend the champion's greatest adversary and his evil twin.

Everyone was put on edge, and Yugi and Joey found Tinsel pacing around. "Ok we got a man who's clearly either from Hell or the Shadow Realm, who's capable of causing so much havoc, and God knows what he can do. And then there's a guy, who's far as I can tell, is Captain Falcon's doppelganger. I mean how are we supposed to survive with these bastards roaming around, what is going on here?! Who is this guy?!"

Yugi raised his hands in front of him, trying to prevent any more escalation. "Let's just take this one at a time. We need to analyze this so we could know who we're up against."

"I knew he's from the Shadow Realm. I'm surprised we never saw him in Battle City with Marik!" Joey intervened. "He can be another duelist for all we know. Well, I'm ready for him!" He drew out a card to prove his point.

"No, he isn't." Everyone turned toward the baritone voice that came from behind.

The street lights shone on his distinctive features; everyone went aghast. "C-Captain Falcon?!"

As soon as everyone caught their breaths Tinsel stepped forward, "Look, I'm sorry we've been following you. We didn't mean to be a bunch of stalkers. We were just curious, and we tried to save you from Black Shadow's plans on killing you."

"Yeah," Joey added. "We wouldn't want to let him have his way. Yugi and I aren't racers, but we've heard a lot about you." He reluctantly took out a hand to shake, but Falcon shook it in a coy manner.

"I guess curiosity does kill the cat. We really want to apologize." Yugi sulked a little.

"Don't." Falcon said. "I'm actually glad you saved my life. So you were all the ones who were lifting the speed-sensitive bomb, and escorting me and Jody out of the exploding power plant."

"Uh...yeah, we were..." Everyone just blushed, until Tinsel spoke up. "So, who's this Black Shadow and that clone we saw back there? Do you know these guys?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Come, I'll explain along the way. We'd better hurry if we're going to enter the Grand Prix in a couple hours."

Her face fell. "Grand Prix..? Oh my gosh! There was supposed to be a race?! I've been tuning out the races for so long, it was like child's play. I-I didn't know!"

"The F-Zero Grand Prix is tonight?" Yugi was astonished.

Just then Falcon gave her a quick examination, with just his keen sight. "Are you...Tinsel Steelus?"

She immediately switched gears. "Uh, yes I am."

Falcon put a strong hand on her shoulder. "We have much to discuss. You're welcome to bring your friends along."

"Sure."

* * *

They stopped by the racing grounds where the competition will be held; they only had about a half hour to spare. The trio introduced themselves to Falcon, he did the same; although it was strange as he never heard of Duel Monsters before. He was pretty amazed that how they got his death averted all those times were just phenomenal. Yugi also told him about Yami's spirit within his Millennium Puzzle, and how he was able to change forms. The bounty hunter had never seen anything like it on all his travels. Nevertheless, there was still one more vital detail he had to tell them.

"You've missed out on so much, Tinsel. It's astonishing how you were able to survive after that incident at White Land. It was like you came back from the dead somewhat. I s'pose it must've been quite a shock for you."

"Yes it was. I never wanted to race after that, and I was so traumatized that I never wanted to use the Silver Comet again. Until recently after about 13 years. Even though I lost, I was still qualified for the final challenge, the King League. But I refused."

"I understand, but you must know something. There was also an incident within the last race. Have you ever been to Fire Field?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think I have. Wait, what incident?"

Falcon paused for a few moments. The trio was anxious to know what they'd missed. Tinsel felt guilty for abandoning the races when she should've participated. Then, he rose his head.

"There was this event known as the Horrific Grand Finale. About eight years ago, it was located deep within the bowels of a planet that was said to house the best minerals in the galaxy. But then, some greedy drilling companies hit the nerve of a volcano, causing the entire world to be flooded by magma. They went into bankruptcy and joined the F-Zero Committee for funding reasons. So far, the location was used twice as one of the most fatal circuits in the universe, hence the name, Fire Field. And then, there was the Finale."

_Falcon stated that before the F-Zero X tournaments, there was a seven-year suspension of Grand Prix races due to the "Horrific Grand Finale." It was a violent and fiery accident that incinerated fourteen drivers to death, including Sterling LaVaughn, now known as the Skull, during the old days of F-Zero. Another racer, an oddball superhero named Super Arrow, escaped unscathed. And one of his longtime racing rivals, Dr. Robert Stewart, attended all the critically wounded, including Falcon._

_During his hospitalization, he was unexpectedly ambushed by Black Shadow. He felt weak and sedated before his nemesis got there, and he managed to steal his DNA and made himself a clone so he could have the leg up on the competition. About three years into the prohibition, he eventually noticed Blood Falcon himself during some of his practice races in Port Town. For seven long years, rumors were spreading like wildfire saying it was Pico who caused the crash, an alien who's well-known for his reckless driving; however, he knew in his heart that Black Shadow was the true culprit behind it all._

_Before the F-Zero EXtreme Grand Prix, the Galactic Federation decreed that no racing was allowed; despite the prohibition, the sport went underground where many racers, including Falcon and Super Arrow, went to hone their skills in discreetly. The crash established the F-Zero Racing Academy, after a speech, by Super Arrow to the Federation Congress. Which after a seven-year battle helped lift the ban. The F-Zero championship made a comeback with the rules and regulations revised, yet still Black Shadow and his closest associate, Blood Falcon, were at their old tricks; the Emperor of Brutality wanted to eliminate his rivals, but also murder Falcon in front of millions of fans as a way to strike in fear. As if the finale wasn't bad enough!_

None of them could speak. They could barely believe what they just heard, and Tinsel really did dodge a plethora of bullets.

"So...aside from the fact that Fire Field is a literal representation of Hell, who is this Black Shadow?" she stuttered.

"He's known as the Emperor of Brutality, and he's very aggressive; more so than any other racer, especially Pico." Falcon was stern. "His machine is #30, the Black Bull. It is a menace across the track with high cornering and body strength, yet he's very slow. But with his sweeping and mercilessness, he's a monster.

"Blood Falcon's hardly any different. He doesn't have the same mechanics as my Blue Falcon, but he's close. The Hell Hawk is incredibly fast and strong, though its grip needs improvement. We should these features for our advantage."

"The Black Bull's lack of speed, and the Hell Hawk's poor grip..." Tinsel recited. "This should be quite a difficult challenge."

"Of course, which is why I need your help, Tinsel."

She gasped, "Falcon...I haven't practiced in 13 years. I'm not sure I can do it."

"It's been so long, but I've seen you race before. You did well when you won second during the Knight League. You may be a novice, but I'm confident you'll make it through, especially since you survived in White Land."

"How about I just take on Blood Falcon, while you deal with Black Shadow. You seem to know him better than I do."

"Sounds good."

"What're the rest of us supposed to do?" Joey asked.

Tinsel briefly hesitated. "I...guess you two can stand by and prepare your monsters, and your Trap cards. Just in case if Black Shadow were to cause another accident."

"Alright, that's a great idea." Yugi nodded.

"I managed to save a couple spots for you two on the front bleachers. You should be fine."

"Thanks, Falcon." Joey said. "Yug and I would love to hammer these guys if we can."

"Attention all pilots, the Mute City race will begin very shortly. Return to your vehicles immediately." the male announcer called over the loudspeakers.

"I guess we should go." Tinsel said, as nervous as ever.

"Don't worry, Tinsel. You're with the unstoppable Grand Prix champion. I'm sure the both of you can win this." the spiky kid assured.

"Be careful, you two."

"Thanks, and good luck, guys." The two pilots grinned and gave them a salute.

As Mr. Zero proceeded to point out every opponent, everyone was accounted for. Falcon and Tinsel were prepared to face their toughest challenge yet.

**A/N: This was actually the first time I've ever heard or even encountered Black Shadow. I never played F-Zero X, so I had no idea what to expect. Even I was put on edge, and curious, who and what Black Shadow and Blood Falcon were. And then, I read up on the Horrific Accident, which the game didn't really explain much. Little did I know it was a copy-paste from X's profiles; for the longest time, I really thought it took place during the events on X, not Fire Field from the original. Then, I learned a bit more about Black Shadow from GP Legend as I met Dark Million. I was really fascinated by this guy, and I still don't understand why no one, and I mean NO ONE, has ever even mentioned him on their Favorite Villains lists on YouTube! Why NOT?!**

**Well, at least Captain Falcon was able to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Now, it's off to the nefarious F-Zero Grand Prix. This is going to be good...**


	7. Lap 7

**A/N: Another unbearable killjoy coming up. I've always hated Lap 7 in Story Mode, and it was one of those chapters I NEVER wanted to go back to. I could never stop thinking about that rant from Ephraim225 on how much HE hated it on Very Hard mode. I understand Blood Falcon and Black Shadow are supposed to be the main enemies, but their AI was just insane. I was just lucky to beat this one, and this was even BEFORE I found out about snaking; not to mention, I happen to be racing against the entire cast of characters of the original 30! Let's just get the damn misery over with...**

The Duelists were preparing for the inevitable as they were shuffling their decks, putting their best monsters and Trap cards at the very top. Yami was on standby inside the Millennium Puzzle. And Falcon was giving Tinsel some last-minute advice on how to handle her Comet: Particularly how to knock her opponents using the swift side and spin attacks. This was actually a first for her, as she never seen those techniques 13 years ago. He also taught her how to use snaking, a secret move that allowed the machine to gain speed by rapidly sweeping from side to side using the drift buttons, and finally how to adjust her settings from a gradual increase in velocity to making it have maximum acceleration. Although, her settings had to be at their fullest if she wants to perform snaking, so she did.

Before they knew it, it was time for the pilots to get into their machines. Falcon and Tinsel wished each other luck and victory, then Mr. Zero pointed out the competitors.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the contestants! The high-flying medico, Dr. Stewart." Tinsel recognized him as one of her past opponents, using the Golden Fox. She remembered how tricky it was due to its cunning and high acceleration. The spiky brown-haired doc bowed to the audience.

"The hitman who flies at the speed of sound, Pico." Another one of her distant rivals. There was a bright green extraterrestrial who looked close to being a turtle as he entered his Wild Goose; she remembered the rumor he was from one of the most volatile planets, known as Death Wind.

"The Japanese warrior, Samurai Goroh." Surprisingly, there was no applause for him. Poor guy.

"Huh?" He looked around him in disbelief before he climbed into the Fire Stingray. Both Falcon and Tinsel were astounded how fast his vehicle got repaired. Then again, the hero didn't seem to be faze by his archrival.

"The cyborg returns, Mighty Gazelle." This was one of the opponents Tinsel never saw before. According to Falcon, he was once human before he suffered from the Horrific Grand Finale. He entered a narrow ruby machine known as the Red Gazelle.

"The Emperor of Brutality, Black Shadow." The demon chuckled to himself as he waved against the booing crowd. Even Yugi and Joey got involved in their disgust with their thumbs down.

"The newbie back with a vengeance, Tinsel Steelus." She raised her arms in triumph as the announcer introduced her. There was very little greeting and she wondered that her reputation was really that minute. And finally, much to the evil being's dismay...

"And the bounty hunter, Captaaaain Falcooon!" He waved against the excited spectators as they gave him a standing ovation, held up their banners, and cheered as loud as a rocket's ignition.

According to the roster there was also the caped crusader, Super Arrow; his wife, Mrs. Arrow; the renowned animal hunter, Beastman; the muscular man who didn't explode by the Kuriboh, Michael Chain; the pilot in both F-Zero as well as fighter jets, James McCloud; John Tanaka fresh from his injuries; a pink giant known as Draq; his delivery partner, Roger Buster; Sterling LeVaughn, aka The Skull; and the black songstress, Kate Alen.

There, too, was the space pirate, Antonio Guster; the mechanical wiz, Dr. Clash; the nonagenarian, Silver Neelsen; the orphan and anthropomorphic from Planet Zou, Leon; the poverty-stricken cephalopod, Octoman; the crazy monkey, Billy; the punk rocker, Jack Levin; the primate from Giant, Baba; the Huckimner duo, Gomar and Shioh; Jody Summer who somehow got the White Cat back from the doomed power plant; the man-eating Tyrannosaurus, Bio Rex; the android, Mr. EAD; and of course Blood Falcon.

Tinsel and Falcon both knew this was going to be a hefty challenge. And Black Shadow was still as pompous as ever.

"Well, still alive it seems? But I won't miss the chance to make mincemeat of you." he laughed hysterically.

The elite's face grimaced, "Black Shadow! I'll show you. You'll never beat me!" His enemy descended into the cockpit.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Start your engines!" Every machine did, and the Black Bull was right behind the Blue Falcon, while the Hyper Speeder was beside them. The Silver Comet waited amongst the epicenter, and there were three small screens in front of the starting gates.

"3...2...1...GO!" They ascended as soon as the drivers raced out of the stadium, and met perpetual danger.

On the first stretch, there was a pit of lava to the right side of the course, then after a left curve there was some ice to the left and no guardrails next to it. Tinsel and Falcon had to be extra wary to prevent from falling off.

Then there was a jump, and more pits of lava met the racers. They had to be careful as the hot, oozing lava was able to drain the energy meters rapidly. They could also feel the heat beneath them as their machines made contact.

After a left curve, the road narrowed, then widened before the next left turn. It was a tight squeeze again and this time there were no guardrails; in addition, there was also a dash plate. At a slight right-hand curve, there was a risky speed boost, followed by even more lava. Tinsel and Falcon grew a bit agitated, thinking the entire course had been crapped on by some inept, sleeping volcano god.

Thankfully a massive rainbow pit area met the weary sportsmen. And finally there were a couple lava pools at the sides and landmines before the finish line. Some gave them an increase in speed when hit directly; regardless some damage was done.

By the second lap, everyone's Boosters were activated, and the real chaos began!

The Blue Falcon shown its opponents its moves as he constantly rammed into its rivals, using its attacks. The Comet saw the mayhem and Tinsel decided to mimic its skills. With their combined efforts, they were able to wipe out nearly half of their victims. The worst part was that somehow during the melee, the Hell Hawk and the Black Bull took the lead. And snaking was always risky for her, especially when there were so many obstacles in her way, or if there was a lack of guardrails.

Meanwhile, the Duelists were cheering them on. "Come on, Tinsel. You can do it!" Yugi encouraged.

"Give them everything you got, Falcon!" Joey shouted.

Little did the spectators and the racers knew was that the Curse of Dragon and Baby Dragon were soaring above the course, waiting to seize the big bads if another accident should occur.

While the Falcon and the Comet were gaining up, the Bull slammed into the bounty hunter, forcing it to grind against a guardrail. The Hell Hawk saw Tinsel and he began to wreak havoc. This wasn't good considering she had a weak body, and the clone was a level higher than hers; though their speed seemed to be the same, making them the perfect rivals for this deadly match.

The machines kept on struggling for survival, and they were fortunate the pit area saved them. Yet, the war was still raging, even during the final lap.

The Hell Hawk made another ditch effort and laid a direct assault on the Comet, causing Tinsel to lose top speed as she was in the danger zone. Using no relent, Blood Falcon attempted to knock her into any of the hazards. Finally, she was trapped against a wall, while her energy was draining at a rapid pace. Sparks and smoke were flying from her machine, and there was a sharp curve ahead. She slammed on the brakes before the clone made a side attack. It did give him a lead, but...

The sudden escape was nearly too much for him! The Hell Hawk went out of control as it lost friction, and due to its grip which was at the failing level. Tinsel was able to pass him, while he fell toward the back of the pack. However, she still had to exercise extreme caution as her stamina was so low.

On the front, Falcon and Black Shadow were still at each other's throats. And while the Falcon was technically faster than the Bull, its cornering and strength were still inferior. The nemesis attempted to eliminate him by either sending him into a lava pool or falling off, but it managed to stay on track, just barely.

The Comet eventually caught up toward the free-for-all and wanted to distract the demon. Thankfully, the pit area was available, but the last stretch was just ahead. Since the Comet was the lightest out of the bunch, she boosted and immediately got in front of the madman. He was furious that she was letting Captain Falcon steal the victory away from him. Just as he did numerous times before. So, in a desperate attempt, he clipped her at the side, making Tinsel spin out.

She lost control as she was spiraling a circumference per second! Yet, she was still ahead of him! Somehow she executed a spin attack while her machine was at its last legs, causing even the most destructive machine to crash!

Tinsel couldn't see where she was going as she was yelling bloody murder! But she did, however, cross the finish line after Falcon did. He drove past the accident just before she hit the left side of the track, and the unbeatable champion emerged in first once again!

There was one of those miniature, gold flying cameras that suddenly flew in front of the Blue Falcon, recording its victory lap and crossed the finish line intact. It was so unbelievable that the gizmo wasn't destroyed by the Falcon's acceleration, though.

Each lifeform went berserk as they saw their hero take yet another title. However, Yugi and Joey were startled as they leapt down from their seats and onto the track. They ran to the Silver Comet, wondering if Tinsel was alright. The machine looked wrecked and she was moaning and holding her aching head.

"Tinsel!" Joey called as he headed to the Comet.

"Are you ok?" Yugi queried, close behind.

"I-I think so... I think I won second again..." she mumbled, her head was swimming. The tall guy offered to lend her a hand, and then he hoisted her up and out of the totaled cockpit. The bounty hunter checked the damage.

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, Falcon. She's just a little banged up. She'll live." Joey assured.

She gave a weak smile as Falcon nodded his approval. Then, he marched toward the winner circle.

"Our champion, Captain Falcon!" Mr. Zero announced.

The enormous, flat plasma screen was showing huge, decorative font of the new victor. Falcon walked up a pedestal in the distant corner.

"The F-Zero Committee will now present the champion's prize belt." There was a wide, golden belt with a ruby, translucent center. There was also a pair of wings attached to the eye. Captain Falcon grabbed it and raised it in triumph to show the exhilarated audience what he earned.

The trio grinned for his success, as they congratulated themselves for a job well done. Both Falcon and Tinsel foiled Black Shadow's and Blood Falcon's plot, now they wondered how they're going to retaliate. She then received the prize money of 200,000 space credits, all in cash. Suddenly, the Millennium Puzzle ignited, and Yami's voice boomed. Yugi immediately looked down at it. "I sense a great evil presence here. He's very close, and I believe he's even more powerful than Black Shadow; stay alert!"

They observed a dazed demon that collapsed on all fours. "What the..?"

"But...there's only him." Yugi said.

"No, Yugi. There IS someone else most sinister. Look!"

Everyone, including the audience and the losers, saw a portal appear in a deep purple. There was a cyborg about 12 feet tall. He donned on violet and elaborate armor, as well as a massive crimson cape. A large brain encased on top of a blanch, metallic face shown.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tinsel saw two despondent pilots; one was coyote-like, the other was the red octopus. Minutes prior to the race, she looked up each of the drivers and their corresponding machines. And the two in question, Leon and Octoman respectively, caught her interest. She saw them crushed in defeat.

Octoman was a cephalopod from Takora. His people were driven into war and poverty, and his kind was also being harassed by the Galactic Federation in reasons she didn't quite understand. Using her prize money, half of her 200,000 space credits, she walked up to the Deep Claw. The driver looked up and saw her hand over the cash.

"But why..?" he said, perplexed, in a voice covered in water.

"Just because I won second doesn't mean I shouldn't share my earnings with you." Tinsel replied with a small smile. "I've heard about your plight, Octoman; I looked into it before the race even started. I just want you to accept my offer. To help you restore your world and your unique kind." She snickered, "Hard to believe that an animal is capable of racing, especially if one should have two legs and six arms. Incredible."

After a brief moment, the troubled fish took the bait. He was almost tearing up as he hid his leaking, inky eyes with a tentacle. "Thank you... I can't tell you how much this means to me..." Octoman sniffed, and soon she went toward Leon before his Space Angler.

"Hey."

The wolf's ears perked up. "Oh, hi, sum."

"Look, I gotta make this quick, but I want to make an offering to you; I've heard your home world is in great poverty right now."

When Leon was still a pup, he lost his parents and became an orphan during some intergalactic war in Zou. It was rumored that the Arrow couple took him in for awhile, and the dog was determined to enter the F-Zero X race, much like the aforementioned Octoman. He hopes to restore funding to his planet and help the kids in need. He, himself, was a head of an orphanage and a supporter to many youngsters. Alas, he wasn't successful. So instead, Tinsel offered her remaining share to him. Leon's face beamed with happiness.

"Tinsel... This really means a lot to me. I'd be more than happy to use this for the kids; that's all that matters. Thank you..." He licked her face like any other tame canine. Then they both saw the chaos simultaneously.

* * *

The stranger in a vehement, mechanical tone spoke, "Black Shadow! You failed AGAIN! You-good-for-nothing..." He spread out his left arm and he revealed a saber made of potent energy. Suddenly, Black Shadow was covered in electricity, matching the shade of the portal. He was screaming in brutal agony and holding out a hand.

"NOOO! Forgive me, Lord Death! AAARGH!" His body dissipated in the middle of the stadium, putting all the onlookers in a state of panic. Except for his colleague, Blood Falcon, who clenched his fist vowing for revenge.

"Ju...just who are you?" Falcon pointed toward the unknown entity. At least he still had the courage to stand up to him.

"I am Deathborn, the Grand Prix Champion of the Underworld. Why don't you and I race each other tomorrow? Surely as champion, you have to accept." The portal and himself shrunk to an infinitesimal size, then burst like a popped bubble. Everyone was utterly shocked at what they just saw!

"The Champion of the Underworld..?" Yugi said in awe.

"This sounds even WORSE than Marik from the Shadow Realm." Joey added.

"I don't think Falcon would ever have a chance." Tinsel was in complete fear and doubt as she treaded back, her feet almost draggng the asphalt. She even wondered how would she get back to a hotel and settle for the night before they head back to Domino City.

They were so preoccupied that they hardly noticed Falcon beside them. "Tinsel? Duelists?"

Everyone turned their attention.

"I must defeat Deathborn tomorrow. There isn't much time to prepare for his challenge. And I hardly know him. Except...the Galaxy Police pieced together that he was the true culprit of the Horrific Accident."

The threesome gasped and muttered to themselves.

"Does that mean...you'll have to face him alone?" Yugi asked.

He responded stoically, "Yes. I'm afraid so. Why don't you three stay at my stronghold in Port Town. I'll tow the Comet to the repair shop where Dr. Clash runs his business. You're more than welcome, and you must stay there until I get back from his death race. In case Blood Falcon should take advantage of the situation."

"Blood Falcon?" they said in unison; they had not an iota he could have his way against his original. Then again, it's possible since he was the one who defeated his master and forced him into oblivion.

Even with the visor, they could tell Falcon was emanating some seriousness as he made them promise to obey him and never question him later.

The tense atmosphere managed to lighten a little as Falcon, Yugi, and Joey complimented Tinsel on how she was willing to share her profits to help the less fortunate. And she actually wished to see them again someday, if the next Grand Prix should begin. Frankly, from this point on, she'd welcome the event with open arms, reviving her career as a F-Zero racer.

* * *

That night Falcon led his followers inside the fortress Tinsel saw earlier. There was a door etched with a silvery bird of prey on the titanium. It was almost built like his own bomb shelter. The scanner read over the bounty hunter's face and it allowed entry. He came across another door in which he entered a code on the control pad to the left. Finally, he urged the trio inside.

A chamber with white walls was a bit blinding for their eyes. When they readjusted, they saw a room filled with a colossal motherboard, and a ledge in the center that had a spaceship. It was covered in goldenrod, its wings were a dirty green, and the nose was flat. Falcon described it as the Falcon Flyer, which was used in space via remote control to track down bounties across the universe. He also summarized his home as a safe haven from his enemies, and he always rushes back after collecting his winnings. Their voices ricocheted off the spacious area, and the bounty hunter said there were also some islands he practiced on during his free time, to keep him up to speed before the next race; he'd been doing this since the seven-year suspension began.

The trio couldn't put their stunned expressions into words, nor could they think that Falcon was willing to show them his private turf personally. Nonetheless, they were all worried about Falcon's fate the next day, and everyone had a rough night's sleep. The captain most of all with his insomnia. They were all at a dark room that was enamored with heavy air pressure, and within comfortable, warm sleeping bags their bodies were floating around in. Their minds were all over the place, thinking that their newfound friend won't be coming back alive.

**A/N: All those techniques that Falcon shown Tinsel, like the spin/side attacks, snaking, and adjusting the machine settings before each race was never shown in the original. All those things, but snaking, were introduced on F-Zero X, which I never played before. It was a huge jump in the series as I got into the original first, then a huge hop into Maximum Velocity, and finally GX. And GX introduced me to these things; though snaking I hadn't used personally as I'd just saw** **Ephraim225's** **LP during Chapter 7. And of course, the rant is there, too, which was hysterical and relatable.**

**Yet again, Zoda had to be replaced, particularly by Tinsel, for obvious reasons. He won't be incorporated into the stories until a year after GX when Rick wakes up from cold sleep; just to keep things time-relevant. Don't ask me how or why Jody's Wild Cat is in the Grand Prix when it just got obliterated from the power plant in Lightning. Ergh, having the original 30 racers isn't really a smart idea.**

**First Black Shadow and now Deathborn. How would Falcon overcome the new adversary? Find out next time.**


	8. Lap 8

**A/N: Oh, man. This was a doozy. Making the course with Deathborn and Falcon, how Tinsel and the Duelists were gonna get there. Even describing Fire Field and the upcoming monster. Although, I feel that Chapter 8, from the game, would've been much more better polished; it kind of bothers me that anyone could win the Championship Belt and yet have that same secret. You'll see what I mean.**

The day finally arrived. Falcon was on his way to the turf that the mysterious and deadly Deathborn assigned him in. He had to leave around the crack of dawn, putting his comrades in a state of shock and upset. Tinsel, Yugi, and Joey were never told where the challenge, nor the path to the Underworld was. The trio were stranded without the Silver Comet, and the only way out of Port Town was by a warp gate like any other planet they've been to.

"We have to get back to Mute City somehow. I was only able to travel with the Comet, and now it's stuck in Dr. Clash's repair shop." she said. Her mind was going all over the place, trying to find another way out.

"Falcon would get very cross if we were to leave here." Yugi stated, as reasonable as usual. Yet, she and Joey weren't buying it.

"Well, I'm not just gonna sit around and do nothing about it." he retorted. "There has to be a way to get your car back."

Tinsel laid a finger beneath her chin, "I'll see if I can boot up the computer."

After some playing around on the massive motherboard, she eventually wound up at a display of the whole galaxy. There were numerous planets, including the original eight, and the worlds they'd visited. In addition, there were some planets they've yet to explore such as Sand Ocean, Tortiz 3, Zou, Giant, Silence, and even the red orb. She zoomed in, and the internal data showed it was named Fire Field. She and the card duelers were astounded as they recalled the bounty hunter's description of the place. They figured it was the perfect representation of Hell itself, perhaps where Deathborn was biding his time. They also saw a blinking spec heading toward it.

"Is that...the Blue Falcon?" Yugi queried.

"I guess so." Tinsel was just as clueless as her friends were.

"Then, that's where we'll go!" Joey pointed.

The two gasped. "Are you serious, Joey?"

"I'm positive, Yug. Falcon's gonna have a dance with Deathborn there, I know it. I say that if he loses against him, we'll get involved, too."

"But...won't we die trying?"

"Of course. But I'm not backing down. We've dealt with death on numerous occasions, especially when we dueled against Marik, or when we rescued Kaiba in the Virtual World, or when we got you out of the Millennium Puzzle while Yami was facing the Pyramid of Light. So, with the universe at stake, why stop now?"

"Falcon told us to stay here, remember?"

Joey gave an irritating sigh. "Do we always have to do what we're told..?" Everyone turned silent, thinking this through.

Then, Tinsel spoke, "I agree with Joey here. What choice do we have? Besides, Falcon is the champion and he saves astronomical lifeforms from danger; no different than us, except you two are duelists instead of racers. I hate to admit it, but you guys and Falcon are like the best of what you can do, unchallenged. You're professionals! We just need to find a way back to Earth and go there." she pointed toward the crimson planet bleeding with magma like the thickest blood. "Falcon may not make it out alive, so it's up to us. Who's with me?"

"I'm in!" Joey walked over and laid a hand on top of hers. Then Yugi laid his hand reluctantly, although the Millennium Puzzle ignited.

"You should go, Yugi." His mentor, Yami, considered otherwise. "There's no telling if Falcon can beat Deathborn in his own game. He needs all the help he can get. And if he loses, then we will strike." He gave a weak smile and he nodded. The pact became official.

They left the fortress behind and walked out of the alleyway. All they could do was look around and ask how to get back to Earth. One of the locals said there's an interplanetary bus service that could take them to any planet, with a fee, that is. Tinsel was so relieved that she could finally use her bus ticket in her pocket. She had this since she started her career as a F-Zero pilot, but never used it. When her license was updated before she headed to Battle City, so was the ticket itself. And with the currency the Duelists earned from their match here, it was more than enough.

The kind locale pointed to a warp gate and there was a highway leading up into the exosphere. Thousands of vehicles of all sorts were driving through it! He said they'll catch the next shuttle if they should hurry. They only had a half hour to go. The threesome thanked him and they were off to the checking station.

Tinsel presented the shuttle driver her ticket and the Duelists paid the fare. They awaited for their destination as the long, limousine-like vehicle went off a light speed toward the deep reaches of space. Earth was light years ahead, yet it took only minutes to get there; they were lucky it was the second stop on its hefty schedule.

Finally, they made it to Mute City. Tinsel retrieved her ticket and they walked toward Dr. Clash's workshop. She remembered the location well since this was where the Silver Comet was waiting for her 13 years ago. She was downright certain it was sitting in the garage now as well.

She was fortunate they saw the mechanical genius at work. She led the way inside the rusty building. Through the glass door, they heard a noise coming from a drill. Sparks were coming from beneath the Crazy Bear. She thought Clash would be working on upgrades for it since he lost the race last night.

She tried to speak over the screeching noise. "Hey, Clash! It's me, Tinsel. I wanted to come here to get my machine, the Silver Comet!" The drill died down and Tinsel stammered on her words. "Hey, Cla-oh."

The old-timer emerged on a long wooden dolly. "What do you want?" he replied in a gruff tone. "I'm too overworked for repairs on other machines. Come back tomorrow."

"No, Clash, I'm only here to retrieve MY machine. Is it still in the garage?"

"Yes it is. Now hurry and skedaddle I got a lot of upgrades to make on my Crazy Bear since I'd lost to Falcon, again!" He mumbled underneath his breath as he grabbed a monkey wrench, "I swear I can't always live like this... I'm not gonna make a crap load of cash losing every Grand Prix and working behind the counter at that stingy bar..."

"Um, thanks." she tiptoed away, and the Duelists followed her to the cool garage. The temperature nearly made her shiver; it undoubtedly had a lot of shade, and no windows. Sure enough there it was. The Silver Comet as good as new. No dents, scratches, or fenders were seen on its lustrous exterior nor interior. She knew she could always count on him for his upmost expertise as a mechanic.

With a whiff of ozone, it was off to the warp gate to Fire Field following the GPS signal. It was fortunate that Yugi's Winged Guardian of the Fortress was able to withstand the heat and lift the machine to a sharp, rocky isle located at the middle of the endless lava.

* * *

Meanwhile, Falcon drove through a cave and passed a sign that said "BLOCKABLE AREA!" in bold print. On his way, he saw two massive columns. And at the center, there was a large skull with the bottom-half of its face dropping toward the ground. The doors permitted him to enter and he swore he could've heard people screaming as they did. The light temporarily blinded him and he knew he was in serious, deadly business when he observed a course with spikes protruding from it. The heat was intense, much like the surrounding area. And then there was Deathborn, casually waiting for him next to his own machine. It was a dark violet, had a narrow, curved head, and a few spikes that were meant to pierce through anyone who provoked him. Nevertheless, the hero kept his cool as he exited the cockpit.

He was holding his own prize belt, which looked shockingly similar to Falcon's. He figured it was a coincidence, but he immediately shrugged it off. In the same unnatural tone, Deathborn spoke. "I've been waiting for you. Did you bring the champion's belt?"

He nodded and showed his lethal enemy his own by his side.

"Good."

Just then, the two belts soared into the air and began to spiral together faster than the speed of light. To Falcon, it was almost mesmerizing.

"Falcon, shall I tell you something before you die?" he snapped him out of his daze. "Dark and Light - the two great forces which make up our universe. These two universal forces are condensed within each of our belts. Didn't you know?"

The green light where the belts were circling grew brighter. Although this puzzled Falcon since it was likely that ANYONE could get that prize belt if they wanted to. What could be worth the risk?! Still, Deathborn continued.

At the moment when the two forces become one, it is possible to seize that power. Then, I can turn this whole galaxy into a pile of ashes in an INSTANT!"

That. Was. Not. Good. He knew he had to stop him and win the death race at all costs. He's like ten times worse than Black Shadow and Blood Falcon combined! He was clearly a megalomaniacal bastard that means to die, before the universe could get utterly annihilated.

He climbed into his vehicle, very confident that his dream would be realized once he's done with him. It was almost like he was moaning as he spoke with orgasmic glee, "How I've waited for this moment. The world will fall...into total darkness..!"

He stepped up to the plate and challenged him on, "Not if I can help it. I'll destroy you yet!" He leapt into his own vehicle and crammed it up. "Let's go!"

On the runway the race began like normal; somehow Deathborn obtained similar ideas to start a race, like the F-Zero Committee did in the overworld. There was a light shower, only it was embers instead of raindrops. Out of sight and out of mind, the trio observed as Falcon cheated death multiple times. They knew he wouldn't last for long, so they did the unthinkable as Yugi volunteered to summon...the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! A bluish serpent with hints of grey emerged onto the battlefield. It was bi-pedal and had a pair of arms, large claws and maw, and an elongated tail and massive wings. It made its signature roar and they all watched the mayhem unfold.

The Blue Falcon and the Dark Schnieder were neck-to-neck and Falcon performed a side attack. It was completely ineffective and he did the same. Luckily, there was a speed boost just seconds before. He had to watch his acceleration, though, as there was a sharp right turn.

There were also some landmines which were very prominent throughout the course. Thankfully, there was a pit area that met the clashing duo. After a few tricky curves they met more mines, and a second pit area, yet the Schnieder was actually taking the lead. Orange steam met the lagging Falcon which meant there was lava ahead. The pools were quick as they went under the machine, but it was NOT painless, as its energy was drained by a quarter, putting him in even more danger.

There was a left turn which he drifted from, then a sharp, wider curve to the right. He hardly crashed into the wall, and yet Deathborn was still ahead. Another pit area, albeit shorter, met him, then there was another minefield before a hair-pinned left turn. After one last rainbow strip that was shorter than the rest, there was the finish line.

By the second lap, Falcon used his Booster to catch up to the monster who was still miles away. He had a bad feeling that he might not win his life-threatening competition, after all. His sudden desperation caused him to get a little careless as he bounced along the course and hit more obstacles. At least the several pit areas gave him a fair challenge.

Yugi drew out two more cards of the same creature, and with their combined presence, the threesome merged into a ginormous serpent with three heads! It was known as the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, standing by for an attack!

The captain kept on snaking until he saw the Schnieder by the third restoration point. He tried to do everything to slow him down, from side to spin attacks. And Deathborn masterfully dodged the onslaughts as if he was just a pesky little gnat.

With a few well-timed boosts, Falcon managed to get ahead of him. He wasn't entirely safe as he felt the heat on his crosshairs while Deathborn was speeding up as insanely fast as humanly possible. They kept trading leads off of each other. And they kept on their aggressive duel as they tried to swipe the other driver.

At times, he was very low on health, causing his stress level to skyrocket with Death literally on his tail. At the final lap, Falcon gave everything that the man and machine could handle, and then some. As did Deathborn and the Dark Schnieder.

It was finally time for the Light creature to reveal its most powerful form that could even rival the Egyptian Gods. Yugi Moto saw this when Kaiba and Yami were dealing with the Pyramid of Light. He made a sacrifice as he dismissed the potent monster, but it wasn't gone. The aura shaped itself from the three-headed mythical creature to another that took its place. The body shimmered like crystal; even its maw was bright as day could be. It was the holy final form of the Duel Monster, the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon! It sneered as it awaited its command to wreck the satanic Schnieder to pieces!

It barely missed Falcon as he did a spin attack, and Falcon's attempt was futile to say the least. He accelerated past Deathborn, hit a wall which gave the enemy the advantage, and then boosted like a crazed mental patient. His stamina was at the critical level as he kept on usurping it. He ran over the smallest pit area on the circuit and the Shining Dragon was rearing its head back, building energy for his next move. Then...

With grace by his side, Falcon actually crossed the goal first!

Through his agony and frustration, Deathborn shouted over clenched teeth, "AAaarrggh! No, it can't be! How could I lose!" The dragon made its mark using its Shining Nova! "Nooooo!" The sacred beam made contact, forcing him to plummet. At long last, the nemesis was obliterated as he fell into the magma just a few feet below the track, churning into a petite pile of cinders himself, ironically. He was no more when he sank into the depths.

Falcon exited his vehicle and entered the runway where the belts were circling above. He found a pedestal to the side, and the area illuminated, revealing a much larger, glorious belt as the two halves merged! Falcon could've called it the Ultimate Champion's Belt. It descended and floated toward him. It was a miraculous fit as it fastened around his waist and glowed.

"The evil forces will never get their hands on this belt!" He raised his arms to the heavens. "I'll keep winning!" He hardly knew Tinsel, Yugi, and Joey were cheering for him as they ran up to him. He wasn't the least bit miffed from the fact they'd blatantly disobeyed him. He didn't even notice the commotion as they used their special weapon as a desperate effort to help him vanquish Deathborn for good.

Together, the quartet made the journey back to Port Town with Falcon leading the way. They wholeheartedly discussed the breathtaking, soul-shifting showdown while they headed home.  
 **  
A/N: Whew. Glad that's out of the way. One more chapter to go. I should thank Siontix for the input on adding Fire Field as the whereabouts for the setting of the chapter. He said himself that the story to GX was crap, and he actually thought the scenarios from the anime were better as it wasn't just focused on just one particular character. I can't agree more, Siontix.**

**Also I believe the original theme for Fire Field should play where Yugi, Joey, and Tinsel head to the pathway to the Underworld.**

**As for the idea with the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, let me just say that even though I despise Seito Kaiba, I love all forms of Blue-Eyes. From its simple form, the White Dragon, to the merger with three of them as the Ultimate Dragon, and lastly its magnum opus, the Shining Dragon. When I got to the eighth chapter by sheer luck, I came across the Yu-Gi-Oh movie in theaters. And I happened to have the Shining Dragon card; I thought it was one of the best, magnificent monsters I've ever seen since the mighty mergence of the Supreme Dragon Master Knight! And its Shining Nova was no exception, even though I hadn't used it since Falcon won over Deathborn by a hair. Unfortunately, like everything else, I had to give it up; lousy growing pains.**

**Only one more Lap to complete. Although, I strongly concur that this chapter alone should've been the end of it. But no, the developers had to throw in a curveball. Ergh, hopefully I'll get this over with as quickly and as painlessly as possible.**


	9. Final Lap!

**A/N: Finally. The last chapter is up! Again, like many other F-Zero projects, I can't thank my collaborators enough for this. Although this isn't as deep as "Ending it All," they really helped me thru whenever I reached a roadblock. Especially on the previous Lap. This one, however, isn't really as thrilling, it's very anticlimactic. I should also give out a warning that this chapter could contain massive spoilers to the GX game. If you still want to read on, be my guest. Let's end this fic once and for all, and hope for a more well-developed story if the series should progress.**

Tinsel, Falcon, and the Duelists have arrived safely to his fortress in Port Town. They were relieved that Blood Falcon hasn't made a move on them yet; the trio could've sworn that he may know access to his stronghold, but he assured them he had increased some of the safety protocols on it. He'd never allow anyone inside, nor reveal the location. Except for the threesome as long as they promised to keep the secrets to themselves.

Still, Tinsel was very anxious about the captain's welfare. She kept on saying to him that he needed allies to watch his back, as he can't possibly defend himself and other racers from potential harm, even if it was from his own rivals. One person simply couldn't hold his own forever in the face of adversity.

The team wanted to make some contacts with him in case he'll be too busy while going away searching for bounty, or preparing for the next F-Zero competition, or just helping out someone in need. Although she was reluctant since she had a strong feeling he was pretty much a loner. Teamwork may have been a wise decision, but it just wasn't in his nature, regretfully.

They visited Falcon's turf for the last time, wondering what to do with the Ultimate Championship Belt he obtained. Yugi found a bright-red display cushion, and he and Falcon both assembled the decor onto the wall. It looked magnificent, hanging just beside the motherboard and the televid. The quartet couldn't be anymore prouder, not even Yami safe inside the Millennium Puzzle. They hung out for a few more hours before it was time to leave, and they were discussing their plans for the future. Until...

"Falcon! Hahahaha."

Everyone heard a voice echoing from the blanch walls. They all looked around, wondering what the unusual voice belonged to. Suddenly, they saw three streams of translucence fly sporadically. They each came from the belt, and then return into it, mocking Falcon all the way.

"Look, I'm over here, Falcon. Hahahaha!" Another one of the bunch snickered, doing the same thing.

Having quite enough, Falcon asked in earnest, "Who are you!?"

Inside the jewel of the belt, everyone saw three apparitions. One of the specters appeared and said, "We are the Creator..."

"What are you talking about?" He stepped closer to it.

"We created the whole world." one to the left said.

"What a surprise you'd beat Deathborn, our best creation." one to the right stated.

"Your best creation..?" Falcon was confused about this, as were Tinsel and the Duelists. The three spirits giggled again. And at that moment, it suddenly hit the bounty hunter like a collision by the Black Bull going at full speed.

"So it was you who set up everything... But why?"

"To tell you the truth, there are no universal forces." one clad in blue said.

"What!?" That made Falcon's fists clench very tightly with all that nonsense.

"Now you have become the champion of the two Grand Prixes." One of the phantoms stated.

"And we'll take out your soul from your body, and turn into our creation." added a second one.

Joey was infuriated! He ran up toward the belt in front of Falcon and shouted to the group, "You're all talk! But you can't walk the walk! Right, Red-Eyes?!" He drew it from his deck.

"We'll defend him to the very end, won't we, Dark Magician!?" Yugi summoned his signature Darkness monster.

"We may not be as good as Falcon, but we can protect him in conjunction with my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Tinsel countered with her creature, whom she once borrowed from Yugi.

"You don't stand a chance. His soul belongs to us. And we'll be able to take yours with his when he loses." The three nuisances said one at a time.

Then, as the scenery changed to a psychedelic background, the trio was dragged down inside their own corresponding cards, leaving their monsters inactive and hapless! They each materialized in an encased area. There was a huge window in the front, looking out at the bewildered bounty hunter. It was very claustrophobic, and they kept bashing the wall, but to no avail. It was enough noise for Falcon to hear their desperate cries for help!

The three spirits burst out of the belt, and one of them chuckled, "Are you ready? Hohohoho..."

They all encircled in the air, and their bodies intertwined and formed a translucent replica of the Blue Falcon. This was a more threatening doppelganger than Falcon's vengeful clone! How in the universe could he possibly beat his own unstoppable machine?!

Never discouraged nor frightened, Falcon challenged them. "Come off it! You think you can beat me!? No way!" He leapt into his original vehicle which was hovering, cranked up the engine, and took off against his own copy as soon as the starting line gave the signal.

They were racing on a tubular course with no guardrails or laser walls. Sometimes the environment kept changing shades, and it almost looked as if the technicolor circuit was blending into its surroundings, confusing the ultimate champion. There was also some red lasers that could've been distracting to the eye. There were some slight curves that were easy to manage, but at times he was caught off guard by the hair-pinned turns that he had to drift through. At first he took it slowly, desperately not falling off the track which seemed almost impossible to survive in. The Staff Ghost's vehicle, however, went seamlessly past Falcon, but little did they know, he was just warming up.

There was a steep incline that was leaning toward the left, and then there were a few jumps which put him in more danger as he gained more velocity while in the air for brief moments. He made some hard left turns and then there was an easy straightaway with the only pit area which was right before the finish line.

Falcon's Booster was activated, and on every narrow stretch, he used it until his energy depleted to a single ounce. Despite the irritating alarm inside his vehicle, he had to concentrate on not falling off. The ghosts were behind him, but by only about a mile. He can't slow down as much as he did last lap. At the incline, he just barely fell off, but he hung on by the skin of his teeth! It was smooth sailing until he reached the goal for the final lap!

Going on the straight path, Falcon saw the staff ghost catch up; he was so lucky he couldn't actually touch it, even when his machine was on its last legs. He boosted like a damn madman, trying to keep his lead. This was literally not only his own soul on the line, but also his friends' lives, as well. By a sheer iota of luck by his side, the long nose of HIS Blue Falcon reached the finish line, beating the Staff Ghosts' creation just by a measly hair!

They separated back into the apparitions again. And this time they phased out of existence screaming, "NOOOOO!" The cerulean hovercar emerged victorious and in one piece! It looked as if it was actually shining with heaven's light. Then, Falcon was back inside his fortress. It almost looked as if he just been through a surreal nightmare since his craft never moved from its perch! Neither did the Ultimate Championship Belt!

He immediately got out and looked down at the cards sprawled on the floor. Then, as soon as he was about to pick one up, they brightened. The light was blinding, and by the time his sight cleared, he saw his comrades safe and sound! They were bewildered, looking at their bodies.

"A-are we..?" Tinsel barely had any words to say.

"We're alive? The creators didn't take our souls?" Joey whispered.

"I-I guess not..." Yugi replied.

They all looked up and saw their hero without having a scratch, nor a change in his features. "I guess we really owe you one, don't we?" the teen said.

They thought they'd never get out and see the light of day again. Yet, there they were, and Falcon was his normal self. Without thinking, and incredibly grateful, they each embraced him. Wanting to relieve from the trippy experience, the trio eventually went outside and gave a heartfelt farewell to their new ally. He gave them permission to visit his fortress anytime as long as he's there and if they kept their promise.

As soon as they were exposed to the fresh air, Joey took a deep sigh, "Finally, we're done."

"Hey, it wasn't too bad." Yugi said.

"It could've been far, far worse." Tinsel chimed. "But yeah, now that it's just the three of us. We can actually relax for a while. We deserve a break from all this mess."

They couldn't agree more, and they headed to the Silver Comet, and drove off for their next adventure. Heck, Yugi was so fascinated from the events, that he might even develop his own game that'll relive their experiences, if he follows his dreams as a game designer.

* * *

Meanwhile, Falcon watched his friends leave. He was so glad that he managed to make it out in one piece, never letting the Creators, or Deathborn, or Black Shadow have their way. Once again, he saved the universe, and he started to reconsider on what Tinsel said about having camaraderie and teamwork.

With no one around, he took off his helmet and laid it on a side table beside his vehicle. He then walked outside, reliving everything that transpired over the past few days in his mind. For what it's worth, Falcon couldn't wait to retell the tale; it could even make history, or perhaps a legend. He looked up at the full moon, wondering if there should be a brighter future for him. And perhaps, someone with a pure heart that'll one day share his own journeys.

This was truly an event that'll follow many stories to come.

* * *

**One Year Later...**

After Tinsel practiced on the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald cups, a mysterious young man from the past woke up from cold sleep. He had short, brown hair and had actually been in suspended hibernation for the last century and a half. He just emerged into a brand new world at a much different time that was too foreign for him. Little did he know, that this could be the start of his own future. As, too, the story of a Grand Prix Legend...

**A/N: There's also a story from Luke "Yoshi's Best Pal" Lynch, which did a retelling of GX's Story Mode, named "Bounty Hunter Tales: Captain Falcon." It's short, but pretty good.**

**At last, the fic is complete. It probably was a cheesy idea, and it was something I came up with before GP Legend existed. Hopefully, this could be a foreshadowing of what's ahead, even though the latter is set four centuries before. Hope you like this short story.**


End file.
